Cardinals’ Monti Ossenfort still leaving starting QB door open

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort’s “good dialogue” with quarterback Jacoby Brissett over a new contract hasn’t led to the executive naming the veteran as the 2026 starter.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

After both Ossenfort and head coach Mike LaFleur opted against naming Brissett the starter a week out from the 2026 NFL Draft, the general manager opened up about the competition he sees brewing between Brissett, Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck.

“Just really excited to add (Beck) to the group. We got two guys that have played and started a lot of games in the NFL in Jacoby and Gardner,” Ossenfort told SiriusXM’s Adam Schein of Mad Dog Sports Radio on Wednesday. “I think that’s going to be a great competition. We’ll add him in here and we’ll bring him in and see how much he can handle.

“We’ll just see how that competition plays out in that room. In the end, the guy who’s going to give us the best chance to win, that’s who’s going to be out on Sunday.”

Brissett’s ask for a raise and absence from Arizona’s voluntary offseason program marks one of the bigger headlines surrounding the team in LaFleur’s first year on the job.

Getting a deal done would make plenty of sense, given what Brissett put on tape last year in place of Kyler Murray, along with his leadership in the locker room. An extension could likely mean simply guaranteeing some of the money already attached to Brissett’s contract with another year tacked on.

After all, he was able to move the offense forward despite no run game and an offensive line that was in shambles last year.

So, why the holdup?

For starters, the Cardinals would see any of their leverage in contract talks vanish if Arizona outright named Brissett as the guy before even getting to training camp.

The Cardinals could also feel more set at the position following the additions of Beck in the draft and Minshew in free agency.

It wouldn’t be surprising one bit to see Beck make his way into the starting lineup by midseason.

The Cardinals will likely be on the outside looking in on any kind of playoff talk, and they need to see what Beck brings to the table with a potentially deeper QB class next draft.

Why give Brissett “starter money” when he won’t be in that role weeks into the season?

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